<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SAN ANTONIO - Warriors forward Troy Murphy didn't want to hear anything about it when asked by a reporter after Sunday's game. He didn't want anything to do with talk of the playoffs, or the Warriors' possibility of catching the Sacramento Kings, who hold for the eighth and final seed for the Western Conference playoffs. "Don't bring that up," Murphy said. "We had two good games, two wins at home. Let's just go out on the road and whatever we're doing keep doing it." It's no coincidence that the Warriors -- who visit San Antonio tonight -- are playing better, though faltering squads such as Minnesota and Philadelphia helped their cause. Since their embarrassing five-game road trip, in which they secured one victory despite playing four sub-.500 teams, the Warriors have been written off as lottery bound. The playoffs seemed so out of reach, even guard Jason Richardson turned his attention to playing "spoiler." Now that the pressure of a postseason push has subsided, the Warriors are having success. Now that the weight of expectations has been lifted, they're playing so loose and free it looks like they're floating. "We really don't have a lot of pressure on us," Richardson said Sunday. "Guys are just going out there and playing ball." Such is true to form in a season where the Warriors, for the most part, have failed to match expectations and come through in the clutch. The Warriors have performed much better when the spotlight is focused elsewhere, when the chips are off the table. One player who has really looked at ease is forward Mike Dunleavy. For the first time in a long time, it looks as if he's just shooting and not trying to will the ball in the hole. As a result, he's totaled 52 points in the last two games, the highest two-game output of his career. He's made 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from behind the arc in that stretch. He was 5-for-31 (16 percent) from 3-point range in the previous 16 contests. Dunleavy insisted nothing has changed, that his shots have finally started dropping. But the 65.4 percent clip he's shooting in the last two games, along with the 17 rebounds and 10 assists he's totaled, suggests that somehow Dunleavy found a way to remove the pressure. It appears as if he's playing with the same relaxed approach he had in January, when he averaged 18.7 points over a six-game stretch, capped by 22 points in consecutive games against Seattle and Cleveland. "It's great to see him go out there and perform," Richardson said. "Especially when guys are down and banged up. He's stepping his game up to another level." With the Warriors relaxed and rolling heading into tonight's game against the Spurs, one can only wonder if their revived playoff hopes, however remote, will affect their play. The sexy talk is that they're now just three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the loss column and four behind the Kings. If the Lakers, New Orleans/Oklahoma City, Utah and Houston continue to falter, and the Warriors come close to running the table, they could sneak into the playoffs. However improbable, it is possible. Just don't talk about it too loud. "People really aren't mentioning anything (about us like they did last year) when we were able to string some (wins) together at the end," Murphy said. "You definitely don't feel the pressure we felt throughout the season."</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting vcwannabe15:</div><div class="quote_post">The Warriors could still make a run to make it through the palyoffs.</div> No man, no.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting vcwannabe15:</div><div class="quote_post">The Warriors could still make a run to make it through the palyoffs.</div> It's not impossible, but it's hard to imagine.
Even if we see things optimistic and 43-41 team can make PO, we are looking at 15-2 run for this club...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kensaku:</div><div class="quote_post">I think we could use a healthy Baron Davis right about now...</div> And a coach that knows how to use him
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Air Pietrus:</div><div class="quote_post">And a coach that knows how to use him </div> What, a coach that lets him do his own thing? What we need is a point guard and a coach on the same page. The point guard has to listen, the coach has to get these guys to play in a balanced way where they can outproduce the team on both ends (not just one end), and the GM needs to get his head out of his ass and fix this lack of inside presence we have. I could care less if Foyle couldn't score, at least catch the f'n ball so he can throw it back out. Then finally, if we're a perimeter oriented team, get us some big guys that can establish position in the paint, stay planted near the basket so we can get second chance points. The best rebounders on our team tend to stay far from the basket when we need the effort on getting the ball back after a miss. I can't help but defend the guy who has got hardly anything reliable to work with. If Dunleavy and Zarko and others could shoot the ball like last half season, maybe we'd win a few more games. If we could shoot free throws and not take stupid shots and dribble down the clock, maybe we'd win a few more games. Montgomery is a rookie coach, but so is the GM and most of our players. This whole franchise is going to make mistakes unless they get to where they need to be on all levels of the organization.
I've been saying fire Monty and trade Baron for some time now. This team needs to get someone like KG, Pierce or a stud center in return without having to give up JRich, Ike, Monta or AB. And it needs a coach that has some NBA experience and a winning record. Then we may have a chance for the playoffs next season.
My opinion is this. Baron should be the All Star along with Jrich. I admire Jrich, but he is not the natural leader/all star Baron is. I think we need a coach that can motivate the players to play at their best and that can drive the players to correct the mistakes they make like rebounding/free throws etc. Monty has not been able to do either of those things. Yes, the players ultimately are at fault, however what is the purpose of the coach if he can not do those things first and foremost. Game preparation is a given, what about the other aspects of the game? Why is it that we lose over half of our games if they are decided by 2 pts or something like that? Well, those free throws the team missed over 30% of decided the game. If that happens once I can understand it. But when that happens game after game after game. That is the players AND the coach's fault. You can not JUST blame the players and you can not JUST blame the coach. It is unfair to both. I dont think Baron needs to be traded. I like Baron and we need his confidence and leadership. I think Monty is the bigger problem and we need a coach to replace him that Baron will respect and play for. He will also listen to the coach when he demands Baron to do something like quit jacking up 3pters. I feel for Baron because the guy goes hard to the rack, gets fouled but there is no call. If he does not get the calls he should, he starts jacking up 3s instead. It is like hack-a-baron out there. Baron is not the problem nearly as bad as other players. Dont tell me that Dunleavy is better for this team than Baron. Or that Baron should be traded before Dunleavy. I think there was some bad chemistry between Dunleavy and Baron this season because Dunleavy stunk it up and Baron tried to light a fire under him. Dunleavy responded like a spoiled punk and cried to the media in a behind the bush way. Murphy has his faults along with EVERY other player on the team. I dont know why people would just pick 1 player as the single problem. EVERY player on our team has a fault. It is the job of the coaching staff to motivate the player to eliminate that fault in the offseason. That is why I repsect Jrich so much.
BTW, I love your sig! I agree with every point 1. Get a winning coach. How can you hire a college coach with apsolutely zero professional experience and expect him to succeed right out of the gate. We should have never hired Monty. Get me Paul Silas or someone who has a winning percentage as a coach. 2. Find players that fit in. I dont think Baron should be traded because he does not fit with Monty. Baron has been to the playoffs before; Monty has not. Fire Monty, keep Baron. Hire a coach who wins and I guarantee you Baron will fit in just fine as he did when we were winning and he was the new star of our team. He fits in great with Jrich, Pietrus, Biedrens and all the other athetic players on our team Who he does not fit in with are the players like Foyle who drop the ball every time Baron gives him an open dunk in the paint when he drives. 3. Dont give $$$...I would have been happy with a shorter contract to Fisher instead of 5-6 years. Foyle should not have gotten such a long contract either but we had no center. We all expected Foyle to produce and he has not. Dunleavy, ugh. Had he had this bad of a season I doubt Mullin would have signed him to such a large contract. I also think the same for Murphy last year.
"We really don't have a lot of pressure on us," Richardson said Sunday. "Guys are just going out there and playing ball." THAT'S WHY THE WARRIORS SUCK. They need a take-no-crap coach and a refuse-to-lose player in the lockerroom. Pressure is good. Pressure (from Greg P) is the reason Spurs have won championships.
No, that's not the reason why the Spurs win. It's not because of pressure from the coach. It's because they handle that pressure well. They've got a foundation that has solid working parts on both ends of the floor, in the open or half court, and they play well together unselfishly. Not because there's pressure always on them, it's how they handle it and perform. The Warriors do none of those things well. They don't handle pressure (4th quarter breakdowns and missed free throws), they don't have an inside game, they don't play well in open or half court unless Baron is involved in open court, and they don't play defense well. In fact playing zone in the NBA won't get you playing consistent defense. There's too many gaps to exploit and especially if teams can shoot, unlike the Warriors. But I'm finally glad that fans are seeing that its more than just the coaching. It's the fact we don't have a strong foundation. I don't even believe a Jrich/Baron backcourt is going to get it done unless they play more efficiently. Missed free throws... guys missing layups... guys failing to run an organized team on the floor. A coach can call plays that can work if run the right way, but if the team isn't executing or organizing themselves on the floor because of a bad floor leader, then it's on the players.
Also let's not forget that holding on the ball, overdribbling, standing around waiting behind the three point arc isn't good basketball. It wouldn't matter if it wasn't good basketball if it actually worked, but it just doesn't. It's live by the three or die by the three and that isn't going to win games consistently, especially if the team isn't in control of the defensive end and rebounding the ball either defensively or offensively.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Warriorfansnc93:</div><div class="quote_post">BTW, I love your sig! I agree with every point 1. Get a winning coach. How can you hire a college coach with apsolutely zero professional experience and expect him to succeed right out of the gate. We should have never hired Monty. Get me Paul Silas or someone who has a winning percentage as a coach.</div> Yes, hiring Monty, the college coach, was a mistake by n00b VP Mullin. Mike Montgomery was a stud coach on the college level for one of the top educational institutions in the world (not in basketball) and well liked and respected on the local scene. Monty, on the collegiate level, got the most out of his players and made the NCAAs every now and then. But the NBA environment is so different from the college environment. It's on-the-job training versus scheduling double two hour practices. Also, the college coach has more power over the player and its the other way around in the NBA where its a player league. Mullin was so sure about Monty that he didn't interview any other coach. BIG mistake! Mullin should've interviewed other NBA coaches available at the time such as Silas, Porter and Collins. Now that we haven't made the playoffs for 12 years running, it's time to hire a NBA coach with a WINNING record! He was quick to fire EMusselman who apparently had problems with upper management (his downfall) as well as the players. I doubt upper management would've fired Emu if it was just a problem with the players, short of a mutiny. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">2. Find players that fit in. I dont think Baron should be traded because he does not fit with Monty. Baron has been to the playoffs before; Monty has not. Fire Monty, keep Baron. Hire a coach who wins and I guarantee you Baron will fit in just fine as he did when we were winning and he was the new star of our team. He fits in great with Jrich, Pietrus, Biedrens and all the other athetic players on our team Who he does not fit in with are the players like Foyle who drop the ball every time Baron gives him an open dunk in the paint when he drives.</div> Here's where we disagree. Baron is a double-edged sword. He's taken teams to the playoffs, but when he's been frustrated, he has had disagreements with the coach. He's a better player to put on a veteran team that has another all-star and a big man down low who can score. Baron is not a good perimeter shooter and gets frustrated when he can't dish to someone who can get it done down low. For some reason, he and Ike do not play too well together. If the Warriors can get a stud big man, without having to deal Baron, then that would be great and I'd be for it. If not, then it's better to trade Baron while his value is high and with a younger team such as the Warriors where only JRich and Fisher can be counted on to score, Baron hasn't shown that he can be a good shooter. Baron will ask to be traded if he gets too frustrated. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">3. Dont give $$$...I would have been happy with a shorter contract to Fisher instead of 5-6 years. Foyle should not have gotten such a long contract either but we had no center. We all expected Foyle to produce and he has not. Dunleavy, ugh. Had he had this bad of a season I doubt Mullin would have signed him to such a large contract. I also think the same for Murphy last year.</div> Mullin needs to tighten up the purse strings for every player he likes. One, he may not be right in his evaluation and two, he tends to overpay by a good amount. Yeah, it's whatever the market is a the time, but he has to look at past deals as well as current ones and carefully evalute what kind of player he's getting and make offers accordingly. It's okay to pay more when guys CAN play, but when guys end up being backups (Foyle, Fisher and Dunleavy), then he's way overpaying and putting it in cap hell!!!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting iLL PiLL:</div><div class="quote_post">how about hiring doug collins?</div> Doug Collins would be a great fit I think. Here's an interesting tidbit on his background: "He graduated from that college (Illinois State) in 1972, then he was chosen to represent the United States at the infamous 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Those games are mainly remembered for two things: The terrorist attack that left several Israeli athletes dead, and the gold medal basketball game between the United States and the Soviet Union. Collins was one of the most notable players on that tournament's version of the United States national basketball team. The United States was undefeated in Olympic basketball competition history, and widely expected to remain undefeated after these Olympics. With time having apparently expired in the gold medal game, the United States had a 50-49 lead and seemed to have secured yet another gold medal. However, in a very controversial move, it was decided by the game's referees that there were still three seconds left to play, allowing the Soviet Union to have one more chance, which they utilized to make a lay-up, and give the United States its first ever Olympic loss by a 51-50 margin. Collins and his teammates have remained upset of the outcome of the game ever since. They refused to accept the Olympic silver medal during the medal ceremony, and, even as the International Olympic Committee approached him and the rest of his teammates about thirty years later to see if they accepted the medal, they refused. Collins has been interviewed several times for television documentaries to talk about that game, and he still expresses anger and disappointment when reminded of it." He's got a rep for being a turnaround artist. That's one of his strengths. His pros are listed here: http://www.nba.com/coachfile/doug_collins/?nav=page His cons are that he tends to get too wound up and emotional when under the pressure to win, especially at the playoff level. He's too much of a perfectionist. Grant Hill, one of the most easy going players, ended up having to go over his head while Collins was coaching the Pistons. Oh well. At least Collins should get us to the playoffs .
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jason voorhees:</div><div class="quote_post"> Oh well. At least Collins should get us to the playoffs .</div> Good call! At least then we won't have to hear that overtalkative nasal annoying voice of his broadcasting games. I mute the games when he's on.
Woah let's get to the playoffs on talent first before we think a coach can do that for us when we've got little or none.
